External leak-stopper for vessels.



N0. 645,070. Patened Mar. I3, 190|()` A. CLUMES.

EXTERNAL LEAK STPPER FUR VESSELS.

(Application led Dec. 22, 1899.) ma Model.) 2 sham-sheet' No. 645.070. Patented Mar. I3, |900.. Y

A. COLUMES. v

EXTERNAL LEAK STOPPER FOR VES-SELS.

(Application filed Dec. 22, 1599.)

(No Mndl.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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ANTOINE coLoMEs, or sT. ETIENNE, ERANcE.

EXTERNAL LAK-STOPPER FOR VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,070, dated March 13, 1900.

Application llled December 22, 1899. Serial No. 741,323. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTOINE COLOMES, a resident of 29 OourVietor Hugo, St. Etienne, Loire, France, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in External Obturators for Vessels, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to means for stopping leaks in the hulls of vessels or ships by applying to the exterior surface of the hull, over the leak, an obturating covering of canvas or other suitable material; and my object is to provide means whereby this can be readily accomplished entirely from the deck of a vessel with despatch and in a much more effective and secure manner than has heretofore been possible. For the accomplishment of this object I have devised apparatus consisting, first, of a frame formed in two parts hinged together, so as to be capable of Iadapting itself to the angle of the prow of the vessel. This frame is supported by suitable means, such as ropes, from the deck of the vessel, and when the apparatus is called into use saidframe is lowered or allowed to slide downwardly along the prow until it becomes submerged to the line of the leak; second, in each part of the frame there is mounted a carriage or carrier for the obtu rating material. Means are provided for releasing these carriages from the frame and for causing them to be propelled along the hull of the vessel until the obturating material is placed in position over the leak; third, means are also provided for guiding said carriages in their movement after they leave the frame.

The inventionwill be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment thereof in practical apparatus applied to a vessel.

' In said drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of part of the bow of a vessel, showing the apparatus lowered into position for use. Fig. 2 is a top view of Fig..1, partly in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View on line 3 3, Fig. fl. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a vessel, showing` a carriage in several positions along the hull thereof. Fig. 5 is a bow-on view, showing the apparatus'in the position in which it is carried when not in use 5 and Fig. 6 is a section through the apparatus on line G, Fig. l,

Referring to the drawings, A A repre-sent the two parts of a frame, hinged together at CL, Fig. 2. This frame is supported from the deck of the vessel by ropes d d, engaging eyelets d on said parts A A, the frame being of such weight as to submerge itself in the water, always keeping the ropes d taut.

' B B are carriers or carriages mounted one in each of the two parts A A of the frame. Each of these carriages has rollers l), which engage suitable ways in the parts A A, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. On each carri-age is mounted a roller C, upon which the canvas strip c or other suitable obturating material is wound, the outer ends of said material being connected with ropes c c', which lpass downwardly from the back of the vessel and through openings d2 in the parts A, as most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 1i. Atits rear end each carriage has an upturned part e, to

the extremity of which is pivoted a iiap or iin having a stop f thereon.` In the normal position of the parts-that is to say, before the apparatus is brought into operation t0 perform the work of closing a leale-the fiaps or fins f are closed over the reels C, as shown in the upper part of Fig. 2, and connected together at their outer extremities in front of the prow of the vessel by a pin g engaging vertical openings g in said iiaps. Thepin g may be removed by pulling upwardly on a v cord gwhich extends to the deck of the vessel.

Each of the carriages B carries a depending buoyant part or iloat B, which when the carriages are disengaged from the frame tend to lift said carriages tothe surface of the water.

For the purpose of guiding the carriages in the proper direction along the sides of the hull of the vessel after said carriages have left the frame I provide two rods h h, which extend upwardly, one on each side of the ship. At its outer end each rod passes through a vertical opening h in the forward ends of the carriages B and at theirlower ends are hinged at t' to a frame carrying rollers j j, adapted to run along the keel of the vessel. This frame hasadependingfin or plate 7e. Thumbsserews Z, mounted on the carriages B, are adapted to press small plates'Z tightly against the up` right rods h, so as to fix the carriage in any desired position of vertical adjustment along IOO said rods. It will thus be seen that the bars h h and the parts to which they are joined serve to connect two carriages on opposite sides of the vessel, thus counteracting any effects due to the rolling of the vessel that would tend to disengage the obturating material on one side of the vessel or the other from its proposed position, for although the vessel may roll so as to bring one of the carriages almost to the surface of the water, thus tending to lessen the force which holds the obturating material in place, the corresponding increase of this force, acting against the obturating material and the buoyant body carried by the carriage on the other side of the vessel, will act through the connections referred to to maintain the other carriage in its proper position. It is also obvious that the carriages on opposite sides of the vessel may be adjusted to different heights, so as to close openings in'different vertical positions. The hinging of the rods h at their lower ends enables them to spread apart at their upper ends as the carriage travels in a rearward direction along the expanding hull of the vessel.

It will be evident that I may provide rods 7L each with a separate roller bearing on the keel of the vessel, so that each carriage may be allowed to assume a different longitudinal position along the sides of the vessel, thus enabling the closure of leaks in both sides of the vessel, but not directly opposite to each other.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: When not in use, it is drawn up and secured in the position shown in Fig. 5, above the water-line. Upon the occurrence of a leak in the hull of the vessel below the waterline-produced, for example, by a projectile passing entirely through both sides of the vessel-the frame composed of the parts A A is immediately lowered along the prow by feeding out the ropes d d. When the apparatus becomes submerged to the line of the leaks in the hull, the. ropes cl cl are made fast. The pin g is then removed by pulling on the rope g2, and the resistance offered by the water immediately swings the iiaps orfins outwardly to the position shown in the lower part of Fig. 2, the stops f' striking against the curved extensions e on the carriages B. The ropes c are now fed out, and the action of the water against the thin flaps propels the carriages B, causing them to leave the parts A A of the frame and to travel along the sides of the vessel, the rollers j at the same time moving along the keel of the vessel, (by the action of the Water against tin 70,) being held in engagement therewith by the upward pull on the rods h, due to the buoyant bodies B,which tend to force the carriages B B upwardly to the surface of the water. The position of the parts as the ropes c are being 4fed out and the carriages travel along the sides of the vessel is shown in Fig. 4, (the intermediate position of the carriage.) Just before the carriage reaches the position of the' leak in the side of the vessel the feeding out of the rope c is stopped, and the further motion of the carriages acts to unroll the canvas strips c from the rolls C, bringing them into position over the leaks, as shown to the right in Fig. 4, the canvas being held against the surface of the vessel by the action of the water.

It will be obvious that the apparatus herein described may also be used for applying other forms of obturating material-such as cork, wood, metal, cellulose, and also air-bags-to leaks or holes in the side of a vessel, some of which materials when placed over the leak swell out (according to the invention set forth in French Patent No. 231,030) and form powerful buoys which counterbalance the weight of any water which may have passed into the vessel, and thus serve to maintain its equilibrium and normal position in the water.

What I claim isl. Apparatus for applying an obturating material to the exterior surface of the hull of a vessel to close leaks therein, consisting of a frame, a carriage mounted in said frame, obturating material carried by the carriage,

means actuated by the resisting action of the water for propelling the carriage to move the same out of the frame and along the hull of the vessel to apply the obturating material to the leak.

2. Apparatus for applying an obturating material to the exterior surface of the hull of a vessel to close leaks therein, consisting of a frame, a buoyant carriage mounted in said frame, obturating material carried by the carriage, means actuated by the resisting action of the water -for propelling the carriage toy move the same out of the'fra'me and along the hull of the vessel, and means for guiding the carriage along the line of the leak whereby the obturating material is applied thereto.

3. AIn apparatus for applying an obturating material to the exterior surface of the hull of avessel to close leaks therein, consisting of a frame, a carriage mounted in said frame, a sheet of obturating material attached at one end to the carriage, means' actuated by the resisting action of the water for propelling the carriage to move the same out of the frame and along the hull of the vessel, and aline passing from the deck through an opening in the frame and attached to the other end of the sheet of obturating material.

4. Apparatus of the kind described consisting of a frame adapted to engage the prow of the vessel and to be lowered along the same to a fixed submerged position, in the line of the leak, a buoyant carriage mounted on said frame, obturatin g material carried by the carriage, means on the carriage adapted to be acted upon by the resisting action of the water for moving the carriage out of the frame and propelling it along the hull of the vessel to bring the obturating material over the leak, and a vertically-adjustable guide for causing the carriage to travel in the line of the leak.

5. Apparatus ofthe kind described consist- IOC IIC

ing of aframe formedin two parts hinged together and adapted to conform to the angle of the prow of the vessel and adapted to engage on opposite sides thereof, means for lowering said frame along the prow of the Vessel' to a iixed submerged position in line with the leak therein, carriages, one mounted in each part of the frame, a reel or roller mounted on each carriage, a sheet of obturatin g material on each roller, lines, one secured to the outer end of each of said sheets and passing through an opening in the frame, flaps or fins one pivoted on each carriage and normally secured together at their freeends at the prow of the vessel, means for disconnecting the ends of said flaps, and stops acting to limit the movement of the flaps upon the opening of the same.

.6. Apparatus of the kind described consistin g of a frame formed in two parts hinged together and adapted to conform to the angle of the prow of the vessel and to engage on opposite sides thereof, means for lowering said frame along the prow of the vessel to a ing witnesses.

fixed submerged position in line with t-he leak therein, buoyant carriages one mounted in of the same, rods secured in Vertical openings v in the carriages, and a frame carrying rollers adapted to run along the keel of the vessel and to which frame said rods are hinged.V

` In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib- ANTOINE i COLOMES.

Witnesses:

C.V LoNDRE, A. CURDY. 

